Final Fantasy 7: An Epic Fantasy
by CloudTrueSoldier
Summary: Three years after the Meteor Crisis, an evil arises, a hero falls. Please R&R! I don't think I'll continue this story unless enough people say I should
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these people, they belong to Square, and if you don't have Final Fantasy 7, go buy it!  
  
The sudden sense of life flooded the veins of the supposedly dead man. His eyes shot open, searching for his murder close by. But his eyes found only his mother. Not the mother, that gave him his super cells and amazing fighting abilites. No, not Jenova. He saw the smiling face of Lucrecia, the mother that had carried him around under her heart for nine months. The mother that had morned for 3 years before going on a journey to revive him. Now he slowly stood up, smiling back at his birth-mother. He saw his Masamune sitting on the table to their side. Slowly he got up from the bed, not saying a word. Silently he took back his Masamune, looking at it for a moment.  
  
Reflecting from the blade were images of his time in Hell. The images that floated around, corrupting his mind, had all happened while he was dead. Images showing Sephiroth weaping, weaping to himself, alone, without anyone or anything. Images showing Sephiroth running his sword through himself, feeling the pain, but never dieing. He looked away, then slowly he stuck the blade through his mother.  
  
She screamed out silently to her only child, but his smile remained. What have I done? She thought, as the cataclysmic effects of her actions were put up to the light of realization. She slumped to the ground, lifeless.  
  
The man removed his blade, wiping the blood clean with her apron, and then slid his sword back onto his back for the first time in three years. The soft metalic sound making music to Sephiroth's ears. With that he marched out of the house, setting it on fire on his way out. His laugh echoed over the plains. His silver strands of hair blew with the wind. He was alive again!  
  
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Cloud woke from his sleep suddenly, startled by something no one ever heard. Thinking for a minute, he realized that a dream hadn't woken him up either. He looked around, wondering if he had sensed someone or something in the house. But, after he flipped the lights on and realized nothing was there. Tifa woke with the lights. "Cloud what are you doing?" She asked, looking up at him.  
  
"I just thought I sensed someone." He responded, still uneasy.  
  
"Who?"  
  
"It was him, I could have sworn it was him." There was no question as to who "him" was.  
  
"Ho-How could he have survived?" But neither knew the answer to that question.  
  
"I've got to go find him."  
  
"Cloud please, no. I don't want you to go. Let's get the group back together and then we can go face him. We'll be stronger that way." She pleaded with him.  
  
"I'm sorry Tifa, I've got to do this myself. I've got to be the one to finish him." His voice was soothing but stubborn.  
  
"Cloud, I don't want to see you die." Tears were welling up in her eyes.  
  
"Tifa, don't worry, I promise I'll be back."  
  
"I promise isn't good enough Cloud, I NEED you. Please...don't go..." She stared into his Mako eyes.  
  
"Have I ever broken a promise before?" He asked.  
  
"Well..."  
  
"I'll be back." With that, the two kissed. Then, he strapped his sword on, the large hunk of metal, which meant nothing to him anymore. Marching out the door and toward the chocobo farm.  
  
"Hurry back." Tifa whispered as he disappeared into the night.  
  
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The chocobo's breath could be seen in the snowy lands of the northern hemisphere of the Planet. Chocobo feet leaving their prints in the newly fallen snow. The whether was getting better as Cloud chased the prints of Sephiroth. Sephiroth had walked down, and taken a boat back to the main continent. Cloud's gold chocobo crossed the water with ease, still following Sephiroth's trail.  
  
The chocobo and his rider came to a small forest. "He's here." Cloud said, drawing his sword. "Sephiroth!! Come out!! We're gonna end this now!!" Cloud yelled into the forest.  
  
The soft plod of boots suddenly came to Cloud's ears. The metalic sound that was the Masamune's unique sound. Cloud raised his sword to a fighting postition, taking out some materia and putting it in his sword. "Bring it." Cloud whispered as he finished.  
  
With that Sephiroth charged at Cloud, swinging his sword straight for Cloud's head. Cloud was barely able to get his sword in the way of the sword in time. But he was so focused on the sword he didn't see the boot that lodged itself into his midsection. He flew at least 8 feet back and had the wind knocked from his lungs. He struggled to regain his breath as he knelt down in the mud of the forest.  
  
Sephiroth made his way over to Cloud and lifted him up with one hand. He used the other and punched Cloud in the same place he had kicked him. Again the wind was knocked from Cloud, as the air whooshed from his lungs.  
  
How has he gotten so much stronger and faster? Cloud thought, struggling to stand up.  
  
Sephiroth was again right there, this time he upercutted Cloud in the jaw. Cloud was slammed against a rock. He forced himself to concentrate on one of the materia he had in his sword. Suddenly, the thirteen knights of the round appeared. They all began to attack Sephiroth, but as they came he killed them off, one after another until all lay dead on the ground.  
  
Cloud looked at him in bewilderment. He's become invicible. Cloud thought.  
  
Then Sephiroth's voice was heard for the first time. It chilled Cloud to the bones. "You're probably wondering how I got so much better." Sephiroth paused for a moment, but Cloud didn't respond. "Living in Hell only makes the weak weaker, and the strong stronger." Cloud just stared as the wind blew the silver hair to one side.  
  
Quickly Cloud casted a wall on himself, along with a reflect and regen. He stood up, and charged Sephiroth. Sephiroth deflected the sword and smashed the butt of the Masamune into Cloud's head. Cloud's face planted itself directly in the forest soil. He felt the back of his throbbing head to realize he already had a bump. He slowly got to his feet only to be backhanded by Sephiroth. The wall was providing little assistance.  
  
I can't win. Cloud thought, beggining to panick.  
  
"It's been fun." Sephiroth said, stabbing his sword at the laying Cloud. Cloud, however, rolled away from the sharper than razor edge of Sephiroth's giant sword. He used a leg sweep to try and trip Sephiroth. But, Sephiroth jumped over his legs and stabbed again. Luckily, Cloud rolled again, this time away from Sephiroth. He stood up just in time to deflect another stab.  
  
Sephiroth began to laugh. "You can't keep this up." He said, chuckling to himself. "I can't believe I was beat by you." Sephiroth then punched Cloud in the stomach again. He backflipped over the bent over blonde. Then, he drew his sword back for the final blow. Cloud kneeled helplessly on the forest floor.  
  
The blade shot threw. Cloud looked at his stomach, only to see a sword protruding from it. Blood was dripping down onto the grass and mud. Cloud didn't scream, but mearly watched as Sephiroth removed the blade. He almost cried out as the pain sharpened. Blood squirted from the wound, not gathering into a pool on the ground. Sephiroth began to laugh as he stabbed Cloud again.  
  
Cloud's face contorted as the blade entered a second time, this time piercing a lung. He slumped to the ground, falling into his own pool of red. Again Sephiroth removed the sword, and stabbed Cloud again, and again, and again. The fourth time Cloud spit up some blood, which soaked into a dry spot on the forest floor. The fifth time his body went limp. His eyes closed slowly, and his breathing stopped. Sephiroth stabbed him once more, laughing all the while. Finally he flicked his sword, the blood coming off with the one quick movement.   
  
Sephiroth then turned around and noticed the chocobo. He took his now clean sword and ran it through the chocobo. It warked in pain, but it didn't last long. Instead of stabbing it the second time, he slashed at the golden chocobo. The slash killed the chocobo after only a few seconds. It feel onto its side, as lifeless as Cloud. Sephiroth decided he was finished here and flew off into the distance, having finally exacted his revenge. 


	2. 

Sephiroth walked through the desolate fields, wandering aimlessly. He had killed Cloud and had thought it would end at that. But the emotions came back. He was haunted by his memories in Hell. In the depths where he could watch all that Cloud did, yet was never able to get his revenge. The revenge that was now complete.  
  
Yet it made nothing better. Cloud was dead. That was all, that was all that happened, nothing else. He felt no better, no worse. Maybe killing the rest of the AVALANCHE group... He thought to himself, continuing his path to Nowhere. No, I doubt that would do anything but continue the killing. I've seen the depths of Hell, the depths that no living mortal should ever experience. For a moment he felt a twinge of sorrow for the departed Cloud, perhaps he hadn't gone to Hell, perhaps he had made it to Heaven. Just for a moment, Sephiroth hoped that he had.  
  
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Tifa sniffed back another tear. The casket was now slowly being lowered into the cold hard ground near Kalm. His wounds were not visible through the new clothes they had put on Cloud. The tears were now rolling down her young cheeks.  
  
Death. It had always been a part of her life. Always. Her mother. Her father. And now her husband?! "WHY!?!" She screamed out, in the middle of the funeral. She quickly lowered her head and began to sob.  
  
A big, dark, burly man put his arm around her tiny figure. Tear streaks were seen on his usually hard face. "I-I'm sorry." He managed to choke out. "He was a good man." Barret wasn't a crying man, but the loss of his best friend was hard. Yet again another being plagued by Death. His wife. His parents. His entire home town! Burnt down to the ground by the once evil corporation known as Shinra. And of course his long time friends; Jesse, Biggs and Wedge. Tears rolled down the man's dark cheeks, dripping softly into the freshly dug soil.  
  
Vincent stood in the far corner of the funeral. In solitude as usual. Watching the procession of events. His clouded thoughts became even greater. This was the man who had convinced him to leave his dreadful tomb of nightmares and to follow him into the world of the living. The nightmares remained, but ever since Cloud had come into his life, things seemed to be a little brighter. But now, now it was over. His life was over. Silently he morned for the loss of life.  
  
Reeve stood in person at the funeral. It would have been rude to attend in his remote controled body. He was letting the tears escape and fall to the ground. Cloud had been the one to trust him. Even after he had betrayed them, he had still let him come along. Reeve wished that it had been him and not Cloud. Cloud was too good of a person to die. He was so young too.  
  
Yuffie was balling in her boyfriend's arms. Her tears flowed freely at the loss of the dear friend. Her boyfriend, a member of her home town Wutai, that went by the name of Knives, held her in his arms, unsure exactly of what to do. She sniffed and looked up at the lowering casket and burried her head back in Knives' arms, weeping uncontrollably. Cloud had accepted her. She knew that it wasn't easy for him. She had been as difficult as possible, but deep down she cared for Cloud. More than anyone could imagine.  
  
Cid and Shera stood side by side, arm in arm. Looking at the coffin that was know being covered with dirt. Shera dove into Cid's arms, her head in his chest and wept. Though she hadn't known Cloud all that well, she felt like he was one of her closest friends. He seemed to leave that kind of impression. Cid was trying to act as tough as possible, but tears escaped even him. He suddenly let out with a long string of curses, as many as he could possibly think of. But suddenly he cut off, apologized to the crowd, and tried to comfort Shera.  
  
Nanaki stood on his four legs next to Tifa. Death had been apart of his life as well. His grandfather, Bugenhagen, and his father, the great Seto. But Seto's spirit still live on, watching over his home, Cosmo Canyon. But now the human who had convinced him he could make a difference with Planet's fate. The human who had convinced him that companionship was one of the most prized things anything could ever want. Cloud, the gently, yet strong willed leader. The one who lead them to the victory that saved Planet. Crystal tears escaped his eyes, and they fell silently to the ground.  
  
Finally the head stone was put in place and the funeral was over. However, the group of eight stayed longer than anyone. All weeping, inside or out. Mourning the loss of a true friend.  
  
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Sephiroth paced back and forth, a splitting headache pounding his head. The headaches had been coming to him often. He couldn't seem to figure out what was causing them. Nothing worked to stop them though. Hours of throbbing pain that he endured for reasons he couldn't grasp.  
  
He grabbed his head and fell to the ground. "What's happening to me?" He screamed out loud, his voice echoing throughout the canyon's walls.  
  
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Tifa wept to herself. She couldn't believe it. It had happened. But now Cloud was gone. She couldn't do it alone. She knew she wouldn't be able to alone. Cloud had always been there, comforting her, telling her he'd always be there. To help her, to help her through anything and everything. But now he was gone, and she was clueless as to what to do. Maybe she should ask Barret for help. He might know what to do, and he was a good man that she knew she could trust. Tears flowed down her face once again as she thought of what she was going to have to do.   
  
Depression was filling up inside her as well. Feelings of failure and sadness were also there. She kept them as surpressed as possible. And she felt them building up stronger and stronger. She hoped she could control them long enough.  
  
  
(((Well here's chapter 2. I wanna know what ya think so far. I'm glad that a few of you took the time to read and review chapter1. I don't care if its good or bad review material, just don't bash me in please!))) 


	3. 

Chapter 3: A Way Out  
  
Tifa knocked on the front door, that was nearly as burly as the man that lived past it. A gruff voice yelled out, "I'ma comin." Heavy foot steps were heard thudding their way toward the door. Tifa stood their anticipating the door as she heard the step come closer. But, when Barret slamed the door open she still jumped.  
  
"Tifa? What ya doin here?" He asked, trying to keep use bass voice a little more quiet than usual.  
  
Tears began to stream down her face. "I-I-I'm-" She couldn't seem to get the words out, and she began to sob, cupping her hands over her face.  
  
Barret put his big arm around her smaller figure and led her into the living room. Sittin her down on the couch, he took a seat opposite her and waited for her to regain her compsure.   
  
After a few minutes she stopped sobbing and looked back up at Barret. "I'm pregnant." She said hastily.  
  
Barret gawked at her for a moment. "You're gonna have a baby?!"  
  
"Yes..." She said, looking at her feet.  
  
"When'd ya find out?" His voice dropped to a lower bass, as it usually did when his emotions started running on overdrive.  
  
"Just yesterday." She said, sniffing back a tear.  
  
"Wh-Whaddya want me to do?"  
  
"I just want your help. You're support. Please, with Cloud gone...I just can't raise this baby by myself. And you've had experience with Marlene."  
  
"Well you helped me with Marlene too." He mumbled  
  
"But not while she was a baby."  
  
"Yea, well, alright. I'll help ya. Jist as long as ya don't go makin me do everything." She smiled brightly at his consent, it was the first thing that went right in quite a while. Barret returned the smile, finally seeing some joy in Tifa's eyes. It was the first time he had seen that since Cloud had passed.  
  
"Well, we've got nine months right?" Barret asked.  
  
"Yea, plenty of time to get ready." She smiled again.  
  
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Another headache. The pain was going beyond anything Sephiroth had ever felt. Hell has followed me back to earth. He thought, rolled up in a ball on the ground, grabbing his head. He couldn't move the pain was so great. I...can't...go... ON!!!!!!! His mind tried to fight off the pain that pounded at his skull.  
  
The pain just increased. It seemed to pound at his very existence. Every second bringing more pain, more pounding. It was insane!   
  
Suddenly, the pain was gone. It disappeared as quickly as it had come. Sephiroth got to his feet, somewhat disoriented. He looked around, wondering if someone or something around him and cause it. He began to walk away from the spot were he had lay. He thought he felt someone behind him. He spun, but nothing was there. He resumed his walk, faster now. Then it came back. He spun again. And again, nothing. He now broke into a jog. And then a run as he felt the presence still at his back. He was in a dead sprint now. Suddenly he cleared the forest and saw a town ahead.  
  
As he approached the town the presence seemed to disappear. He looked around, wondering why it had left. Oh well, at least it's gone now. He sat down at the very outskirts of the town, hoping that no one saw, or recognized him. It's been three years. I doubt anyone would remember me anyway. Humans are so pathetic. Always forgetting what they want.  
  
He took out his sword, again seeing the images of Hell in its reflection. Death. Pain. Torture. Everything that was evil. Sephiroth smiled though. He had escaped. He was free from the place. And he had killed him. Cloud was dead. He had won. But, still nothing seemed to be better now. He had always thought the revenge would be so sweet. Of course the moment was amazing. His body tingled to the bone as he had stabbed Cloud over and over. But now, now everything was different. The headaches, and the presence. It was all too much for him. He had brought Hell with him. Or maybe Cloud was back to haunt him. Maybe his mother, Lucrecia. He wasn't sure, but this had to be better then Hell. Right?  
  
Another headache began to pound at his head. Swinging its mighty power, knocking Sephiroth to the ground again. He curled up and tried to cope with the pain as best he could. But he had to struggle to keep from screaming out in pain. The headache was worse this time. He couldn't go on like this. Insanity began to grip at his already insane mind. An insane man going even further insane.  
  
He screamed out in pain as the headache intensified. No one seemed to noticed. The city was deserted he seemed to notice in some corner of his mind as he continued to scream out in pain.  
  
Then the worst got worse. The presence came back and just seemed to hover over Sephiroth. Watching him struggle in pain, watching him roll on the ground screaming out in pain. He could almost feel sympathy being empathically recieved from the presence. It was trying to calm him down.  
  
Slowly the headache weakend until it turned into nothing. Sephiroth stood up, looking around, seeing no one. But, feeling someone. "What do you want?" He demanded, talking into the thin air. Silence. "WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" He shouted, with silence as his only response. "WHAT DO YOU wANT?!?!?!" He screamed it this time.  
  
Drawing his sword he quieted his voice. "Tell me what you want or die." And after another pause with filled with silence ge began to slash at the air. "TELL...ME....WHAT...YoU...WANT!!!!" He shouted inbetween swipes of the Masamune.  
  
Finally, he stopped, deciding that it couldn't be hit by his sword. He could still feel it thought, mocking him now. He finally gave up and hit himself over the head with his sword, knocking himself unconscious.  
  
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--9 months later--  
  
"Push!" The doctor yelled, his hands ready to help the baby out of the womb.  
  
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK I'M DOING?!" She yelled at him, pushing with all her might.  
  
The head slowly poked through and the doctor helped as Tifa strained to get the rest of the baby out. "It's a boy!" He said, as Tifa slumped back into the hospital bed. Barret stood by, blinking in amazment at what just took place.  
  
"Damn..." Was all that Barret could mutter.  
  
Tifa's eyes began to water once again. But this time the tears were of joy, and not of saddness. Though, that baby did remind her of Cloud. It looked so much like him.  
  
"What're ya gonna name him?" Barret asked, smiling at the baby.  
  
"I'm not too sure." She said, not having thought about that too much over the last few months.  
  
"That's ok, ya got plenty of time t'thinkin about it now." Barret said, smiling down at her. She smiled back, which had become less and less rare.  
  
"Thank you Barret."  
  
"Awww...s$#@..."His face turned red, though it wasn't very visible under his already dark skin.  
  
She glared at him for a moment for his language. "Not in front of the baby." she said sternly.  
  
"I-I'm sorry." He mumbled.  
  
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Nananki was laying on his bed, reading a book. Never had he become so completely engrossed in a topic. His eyes sped through the words, always wanting to get to the next one. Marching on, absorbing the information that the book told him.   
  
Three days straight now. For three days he had been reading books on the same topic, locked away in his room. Information started to piece together in his mind as he read on. Everybook adding its own piece to the puzzle. Soon, very soon he would have all the info he needed. And then, just maybe it would work. He prayed to what ever God or gods that lived out there to let it all be true. It HAS to be true. It is written in the sacred writings of the Ancients. It just HAS to be true...  
  
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Cid looked over to Shera. He couldn't believe that they had gotten maried. Crazy woman was always running around the house cleanin up his stuff. Making the perfectly good mess clean. So, he had gone out to work on his new baby. Finally a place where he could be alone. Alone with his new airship.  
  
"Oh HONEY!!! Do you need any help with your air ship?" Her voice rang out to him.  
  
"God damnit woman. Leave me ^$@#*&^ alone for five minutes." He muttered a few more obsanities before crawling back into the small shaft where the problem was. Something in here was preventing it from starting, and he was determined to find that something.  
  
Shera walked into the house, disgusted with her husband. HOw can he be so cruel? She wondered only to herself. Well, I did marry him, and I did know that he was like that. So I guess there's not much to complain about. With that she took out the broom and began to sweep the kitchen. She thought of it as one of her nervous habits. Cleaning that is. She had just swept the kitchen this morning, but somehow Cid had managed to get it just as dirty as before in only a few minutes. Oh well, at least it gives me something to do. She began to hum to herself as she went on with her chores.  
  
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Vincent wondered what had happened. He looked at the dead body. It was rotting and smelling up the place. Flies buzzed around, landing on the corpse occasionaly. The stench was horrible, but not horrible enough to cause Vincent to back away. He looked at the corpse, realizing fully who it was.  
  
"Lucrecia..." He whispered, coming closer to the body. "Lucrecia, who did this to you?" He mused, looking at the stab wound through her mid section. "A sword...It appears to be a thin, long sword...Sephiroth!"  
  
He began digging a hole in the ground. She at least deserves a proper buriel. He thought as he worked. My god, how could he have done that. I always thought that Hojo had done the worst things I would ever see. But, Killing your own mother... He lay the body in the hole and began to fill it with the dirt that he had just dug.  
  
"Good bye...Lucrecia..." He stuck a few flowers by the grave. A tear rolled down his usually dry face. "I love you..." He whispered so low that someone standing right by him would not have heard it.  
  
"You will pay Sephiroth. Cloud and Lucrecia will be avenged. You will face your maked again. And this time you won't come back."  
  
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Reeve looked around the new ShinRa company building. Amazing what they can do with enough money. He thought, looking at the completely rebuilt building. The walls were now made of glass. Well, up to the 50th floor. But the rest was in 2 foot thick cement. But, the more secretive experiments had always been in the higher levels. Except the sub levels. But not even he knew much about those dark places. He was too afraid to set foot down there.  
  
He finally reached his office, right on the 49th floor. "Amazing they let me still work here, but they've improved." He began to talking to himself. A habit that drove some people nuts.  
  
He began to think about Cloud again. His mind always seemed to wander to him. "Damn Sephiroth...Damn him to Hell..." He sat down and thought of a way to get back at him.  
  
"IF only there was some way to get Cloud back. Then maybe we could win. I bet we could if we worked as a team. But, how could we possibly get Cloud back? Who would know the most about resurection? Hummmm...probably some where in the City of the Ancients. But, I'm never going there again. Jeesh, bad memories. Maybe, yea, I bet he would know." With that Reeve left the ShinRa building and got in his ShinRa made car, which was the nicest that money could buy and drove off into the setting sun.  
  
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Nananki suddenly heard a short rap on the front door. Not many people would bother coming by here, I wonder who it is.  
  
"Come in." He said in his normal voice. Reeve pushed the door open and walked in. "Hello Reeve, nice to see you again."  
  
"Heya Red, what's up? Hey, I wanted to ask you if you knew anything about how we could resurect Cloud."  
  
Nananki's eyes widdened. "Interesting, I have been researching that very thing. But it seems, that only an ancient can be restored to life."  
  
Reeve thought for a moment, "But that means we could bring that Aeris girl back to life, right?"  
  
"Correct, however there are some draw backs." Nananki added.  
  
"Yea, like what?"  
  
"Like you can only use it once, and that you only come back for one year."  
  
"One year huh? I don't think I'd wanna come back just to die in a year..."  
  
"But Aeris can't tell us what she wants to do. So we have to make a judgement." Nananki's voice was grave.  
  
"We should probably assemble everyone for this then."  
  
"Yes, I already arranged that. We're meeting at Tifa's house tomarrow afternoon."  
  
"Great, let's go." Reeve's voice was filled with enthusiasm. Finally, the girl of my dreams will be back... But she's always had that thing for Cloud...Damn him...  
  
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The group sat in the circle, waiting for Red to speak. Everyone was there; Tifa, Barret, Yuffie, Reeve, Cid, Shera, Nanaki, Vincent, and L'il Cloud as everyone had come to call him.  
  
"We can resurrect her." He suddenly said, breaking the silence.  
  
"Aeris?!" Tifa gawked at him. L'il Cloud looked up from the toy he happened to be chewing on at the moment. He held out his arms toward Tifa and looked at her with his best puppy eyes. She bent down and picked him up. "Come here you." She said, setting him on her lap.  
  
"Yes, we can resurrect Aeris."  
  
"Well then why the hell haven't we yet?" Barret demanded.  
  
"There are some drawbacks." Nananki's voice never fluctuated as he spoke.  
  
"Like what?" Cid asked.  
  
"We can only do it once, and it only lasts for a year, then she will die again."  
  
"What the hell kinda drawbacks are those? Why the hell does that have to happen." Barret's gruff voice got a little deeper as his emotions began to boil over agian.  
  
"The ancients designed all this. Not me." Nananki said, defending himself.  
  
"Well I say we go for it." Yuffie piped in.   
  
"I agree." Tifa said, bouncing L'il Cloud on her knee.  
  
"I'm in." Cid said, speaking for himself and Shera.  
  
"I will go." Vincent said.  
  
"Me too." Barret replied.  
  
"Of course I'm going." Reeve spoke up.  
  
"Then it is agreed. Tomarrow morning we will set out to resurect Aeris."  
  
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The black materia glowed in his hands. He didn't care anymore. Anything to get out of this world. But, if he was going to kill himself, might as well take the whole Planet with him. He began to laugh, his now demented laugh. 


	4. A New Life

Chapter 4: A New life  
  
The group stood at the small pond located somewhere in the City of the Ancients, the longest standing city known to anyone on the Planet. Red was reading over his book once more, making sure he had brought everything along that was instructed.  
  
"Someone has to dive down and retrive her body." Nanaki pointed out.  
  
"I'll go!" Yuffie said almost instantly. She quickly dove down into the water before anyone could protest her. Several minutes went by before Yuffie's head pocked through the calm surface of the water. Aeris was laying limp in her arms. "I got her." She exclaimed inbetween gasps for air.  
  
"Set her up here." Nananki instructed. Yuffie did as she was told and lay the dripping Aeris in front of Nananki. The red creature set the green materia on Aeris's stomach. A mastered Revive. Then he set another. The restore materia. Then he set the white holy materia inbetween the two. Another artifact that Yuffie had collected.  
  
"Ancients live, Ancients die. Here the ancient came to lie. Great lifestream grant our wish, let this ancient live the rest of her life." The materia began to glow. Green-White-Green. The three magical orbs glowing brighter and stronger. Suddenly Aeris's body was lifted from the ground. The materia rolled off as she was set up straight on her feet. Then, her eyes fluttered open.  
  
"Wha-What happened?" She looked around, her green eyes fluttering.  
  
"You're alive again Aeris." Nananki said.  
  
She looked at her mid section. The stab wound was gone. Then she looked back up and noticed Cloud wasn't there. "Cloud told me everything." She said solemly.  
  
"You saw Cloud?" Tifa asked, carrying the baby in her arms.  
  
"Yes, he was there, in the lifestream. He told me about Sephiroth. Who's the baby?" She asked, suddenly noticing him.  
  
"L'il Cloud." Tifa responded.  
  
"He looks a lot like his father." Aeris said, a twinge of saddness in her voice.  
  
A tear rolled down Tifa's face, "Yes, he does, doesn't he?"  
  
"So why did you ressurect me?" She asked abruptly.  
  
"We need you to help us fight Sephiroht." Nananki pointed out.  
  
"I see. But wouldn't it have made more sense to ressurect Cloud?"  
  
"Only Ancients can be ressurected."  
  
"Who said Cloud didn't have Ancient blood in him?"  
  
"He can be ressurected then?"  
  
"Sure," She said, smiling at the group. They met her eyes with amazement. "Just lead me to his body."  
  
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Sephiroth clutched the black materia in his hands. The materia was glowing now. "Yes, yes, it is comming. It will happen." The materia grew brighter and brighter. Sephiroth's headache was still pounding at his head. Incesently rattling at his mind, bringing him more and more over the insane edge that he had crossed so long ago.  
  
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The freshly dug dirt lay in a pile to the side of the grave. The mourning dew had collected on the neatly cut lawn of the grave yard. The assebled group looked on as the casket was raised by Barret and Cid.  
  
"Give me the materia." Aeris instructed. Her hand quickly came to contain a Restore, Recover and her Holy materia. "Thanks," She replied as she took a step toward the casket. Barret and Cid each unlatched a side. The casket popped open and Cloud lay there, his arms crossed over his chest. His eyes closed. The stab marks were covered up by the new clothes that he had gotten after his demise.  
  
Aeris began to murmur some words that no one was able to hear as she placed the materia on Cloud's chest. The three materia began to glow, as they had with Aeris. Brighter and stronger. Green-White-Green.  
  
His body was suddenly lifted off the ground. "She never even saw the incantation." Nanaki muttered. The materia rolled off onto the ground. Cloud's eyes began to flutter.  
  
"I-I- What the hell?" He said suddenly, as he was revived to life.  
  
"Cloud!" Tifa ran at him, hugging him with the baby in her arms.  
  
"Ti-Tifa?!"  
  
"Cloud, you're really back!" She said, trying to press herself as close to him as she could without squishing the baby.  
  
"Who's this?" Cloud looked down at the baby.  
  
"We call him L'il Cloud, but we can think of a different name." She said, smiling up at him.  
  
"You were pregnant?" His line of questions continued, a look of suprise on his face.  
  
"Yea, I found out a few days after you died..." She said. "But, you're alive now and that's all the matters."  
  
Cloud suddenly saw over Tifa's shoulder and his jaw dropped in wonderment yet again. "Aeris?"  
  
She looked up into his Mako colored eyes. "Hi, Cloud. Welcome back." She smiled at him.  
  
"You're alive too? Damnit, what did I miss?"  
  
"Not much, they just brought me back to help fight against Sephiroth and I thought that it would be a good idea to bring you back to help in the fighting as well."  
  
"Aeris, I'm-I'm sorry I couldn't save you back at the City of the Ancients..."  
  
"It's ok Cloud, that's all behind us." She said, as Cloud hugged Aeris, leaving Tifa behind him, who was looking as angry as possible.   
  
"Hey, no more time for this jibba jabba (author's note: sorry I had to add this ^_^) We gotta get on the road and kill Sephiroth."  
  
"Barret's right." Nananki said. The reunion was quickly over as the group of friends began another quest to yet again stop Sephiroth.  
  
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Soon now...soon it will all be over. Sephiroth thought to himself as the materia glowed even more brightly in his hands. Over head the image of a Meteor was seen in the sky. Tinting the usually blue sky red. The headache continued to knaw at his existance. And the presence hadn't left either. It seemed to just sit at his side, and do nothing.  



End file.
